Top 10 Criminal Justice Careers

There are different sources that have different ways of determining what the top 10 criminal justice degrees are. Some people say the top 10 criminal justice degrees are the ones for careers that have the best growth potential, while others say the top careers are those that are most in demand. Many experts agree, however, that the highest paying criminal justice careers are the most important careers to look into. Anyone who wants to get a degree and pursue a professional future in this field would definitely want to know which careers pay the highest salaries.

There are literally hundreds of thrilling positions in the law enforcement field that you can go into after achieving a criminal justice degree. The following are the top 10 criminal justice careers based on average salary:

1. Detective – $89,354
2. Criminal Investigator – $86,012
3. FBI Agent – $79,648
4. Police Officer – $74,464
5. Secret Service Agent – $68,288
6. Police Detective – $64,518
7. Private Investigator – $62,400
8. Substance Abuse Counselor – $59,850
9. Insurance and Fraud Investigator – $56,449
10. Legal Secretary – $54,000

Some of these criminal justice careers are more difficult to get into than others, and the salaries may also vary based on which part of the country you reside in. A career as a police detective, for example, will probably require quite a bit of time on the job and a great deal of experience to get into and begin achieving a high salary. It won’t happen the day you graduate from criminal justice school. FBI agents and secret service agents also often come from backgrounds in the military or very advanced government jobs.

There are many other high paying criminal justice careers in the police force, the court systems and for private companies. These jobs listed above, however, are the top 10 criminal justice degrees in terms of average salaries. While it’s clear that these jobs may require advanced college degrees, others may require certain levels of experience and number of promotions. There are countless jobs in this field that are highly in demand and will continue to be so as long as we require a criminal justice system to keep our society safe and sound.